Destinations

Why I Always Come Back to Taiping, Malaysia – Stunning Lake Gardens & Cool Mountain Retreats

August 18, 2019 by Bino 8 Comments

There are times when I obtain the resolve to go somewhere just because of a picture that I’ve seen. That pretty much led me to Taiping, Malaysia; a seemingly nondescript town in between Penang and Ipoh. Taiping – translated in Chinese as “Everlasting peace” – is not a tourist town, with its claim to fame being the rainiest city in Peninsular Malaysia. This has benefited the town with an extremely verdant vegetation, the kind that even others from the tropics would envy over. As for me, all it took was one picture of the beguiling Taiping Lake Gardens, with its lush greenery and calm waters with almost perfect reflection for me to get smitten.

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Things to Do & Eat in Ipoh, Malaysia (2019) – Of Crumbling Colonial Architecture, Heritage Trails, Limestone Caves & Hipster Cafes

August 17, 2019 by Bino 19 Comments

Exploring Ipoh while on an impromptu heritage walk, I had my doubts on how such a sleepy town could actually be the 3rd largest city in Malaysia. Seeing Ipoh for the first time, I felt like I had stepped into a bygone era when people still traveled by rickshaws and opium dens were the order of the day inside the many Peranakan-style shophouses. The quietness of the old town’s streets coupled with the charming but crumbling colonial architecture only seemed to add to the allure.

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The Perfect Itinerary for Osaka and Kyoto – Kansai Travel Guide (2019)

August 11, 2019 by Bino 1 Comment

One of Japan’s most iconic touristic regions is Kansai where the cities of Osaka and Kyoto are located. In contrast to other regions such as Tokyo or Central Japan, the Kansai region offers both the ultramodern comforts that Japanese big cities are known for as well as charming old towns dating back from the time of the geishas and samurai warriors. Another good thing is that traveling between Osaka and Kyoto takes less than an hour by train which makes combining these two cities in one trip highly advisable. Whether you love shopping, eating or exploring cultural attractions, check out this itinerary for your trip to Kyoto and Osaka.

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Essential Things to Do in Padang in Western Sumatra – High Time to Visit This Underrated Indonesian Gem

August 4, 2019 by Bino Leave a Comment

The name Sumatra often brings to mind images of exotic wildlife as well as gourmet coffee beans. As the largest island that entirely belongs to Indonesia, it’s also one of the less commonly explored – especially when you consider the myriad of attractions found there. The Western Sumatran capital of Padang for instance, does not receive many overseas visitors. The trickle who come would take the quickest boat to the Mentawai Islands rather than spend a couple of days in Padang. The fact that Padang is not a buzzing or up-and-coming destination certainly adds to its charms. For the most part, you’ll find yourself to be the only foreigner in a town that Indonesians have long been in-the-know about – and for good reason, too. Here are the things you can do when you visit Padang, Indonesia.

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Visiting San Marino From Bologna – Easy as Pie Day Trip to One of the World’s Smallest Countries

July 26, 2019 by Bino Leave a Comment

After my trip around the Balkans, I decided to make a detour to Italy as I wanted to tick one new country off my bucket list. That country was San Marino and to get there, I had to find myself a city interesting enough to serve as my base. Given Italy’s many fast trains, it is entirely possible to base yourself anywhere in Central Italy and be able to do San Marino as a day trip. However, the most practical cities to make that trip with the least possible connections would be Rimini and Bologna. Rimini gets you there the quickest due to a direct bus, but it’s more of a resort town and I wanted a place with some history and good food. I then looked a bit farther at the map and found Bologna, which only required an additional 1 to 1.5 hours from Rimini. So Bologna it was. Bologna is one of Italy’s great cities and is perhaps most well known for its food. Tagliatelle al ragu immediately springs to mind!

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The Perfect 3-Day Itinerary For San Francisco (2019)

July 25, 2019 by Bino 3 Comments

This is a long overdue guide to one of my favorite cities in the world. For a place that has less than one million people, San Francisco has definitely pushed above its weight in terms of contributions to the world. From Levi’s and Gap to UBER and Airbnb, the city has always managed to keep itself in the cutting edge. For the casual visitor, the number of things to do seems to be disproportional to the city’s land area and it’s often hard to decide how to plan a visit to San Francisco especially when it’s the first time.

This itinerary groups together attractions and places that are near or connected to each other for a more organized trip to the city by the bay. It offers a great mix between scenic spots, eating, shopping and with a few hipster areas thrown in. Without further ado, here’s a 3-day itinerary that you can follow for San Francisco.

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Exploring Alor Setar in Kedah, Malaysia

July 23, 2019 by Bino 8 Comments

My latest Malaysian trip took me to the state of Kedah, a place that many people don’t realize they have visited. If you have been to the resort island of Langkawi then yes, you would have been to this state in the northern part of Peninsular Malaysia. In my case, my visit to Kedah led me not to the emerald isles of Langkawi but to the city of Alor Setar, the royal and administrative capital of the state, for some sightseeing.

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Why You Should Visit Kota Bharu in Kelantan, Malaysia

July 21, 2019 by Bino 9 Comments

Those searching for a more traditional side to Malaysia would be hard-pressed to find anywhere more fitting than the northern city of Kota Bharu in the state of Kelantan bordering Thailand. Coming from my short trip to Kuala Terengganu which in itself is a pretty laidback and conservative town, I was still pleasantly surprised with the overall look and feel of Kota Bharu when I stepped out of the bus following a 3 hour journey.

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